If He Lived
by emily4498
Summary: What if Naruto died before the Kyuubi was sealed into him and Minato survived the Kyuubi's attack alongside Kushina?


**If He Lived by emily4498**

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 _Focus on the seal. If the seal breaks, we're all dead,_ Minato repeated to himself as Kushina screamed. _Focus on the seal. Kushina can handle herself as long as I keep this seal intact._ Suddenly the wails of an infant added to Kushina's curses and the medic's attempts to calm everyone down. _Finish the seal, lock it in place. Turn it exactly twenty-one degrees clockwise, tighten fingers towards her navel, just like that. Locked. Not today, you're not getting out today, Kyuubi._ He may have said that last part out loud.

Kushina grabbed his hand and squeezed. "Good job, Minato," she smiled up at him. He barely had the chance to smile back before a squalling bundle was settled into his arms. He reflexively cradled the infant.

"Kushina, he's—" The moment he looked at Kushina, the slight weight in his arms vanished.

"Naruto!" Kushina screamed.

"Step away from the Jinchuuriki, Yondaime, or your precious son dies at the ripe old age of one minute!"

Minato tensed and glared at the masked man. _He is so very lucky Kushina can't move right now,_ Minato thought as he cautiously took a step away from Kushina, his hands held out in front of him, a vain attempt to placate the orange-masked man in front of him.

Before he could speak, the masked man tossed the infant in the air. Minato _moved_ , flashing away from the scene. No sooner had he landed than the explosive tags started to spark. He barely made it out the door. The explosion struck his back, full force, flinging him forward.

 _This is going to hurt._ Minato skidded across the ground, doing his utmost to prevent the rough landing from jarring the infant's head. He didn't dare release even a finger from his son until he skidded to a stop. _Kushina can take care of herself, she has to. Naruto comes first._

Minato flashed to the furthest safe house his Hiraishin could reach. It would take nearly ten minutes for any other shinobi to make it from the cave to the safe house. The best seal master alive would need at least an hour to break through the defensive seals—even if someone managed the Hiraishin, they couldn't enter without his chakra signature. Naruto would be safe. Minato flashed to the top of his head on the Hokage Monument. Inside the village, everything was quiet. The Sandaime stood atop the Academy. Only Uchiha patrols moved about the village. Village for all civilians and Genin was at sundown.

Minato took a deep breath. Knowing he was most likely appearing in a trap, he flashed to the seal tattooed on Kushina's back. They weren't anywhere near the cave Kushina gave birth in. They were almost a hundred kilometers away, so far that the Hiraishin had almost failed.

A moment later, Minato knew he was too late. The Kyuubi roared in front of him. He picked up Kushina and flashed halfway to the safe house. He lifted her higher in his arms.

"Kushina, Kushina, what happened?" He asked desperately.

Her arms tightened around his neck. "The Kyuubi. I don't know how they managed to unlock the seal, but Orange Mask managed it and released the Kyuubi. The entire seal array is gone, Minato. If you're going to re-seal the Kyuubi, it's going to have to be from scratch."

"I'll figure something out," Minato promised and flashed inside the safe house. "Just take care of Naruto, okay? Take care of Naruto and I'll fix this. Don't worry, okay?"

"Minato, no, you're not strong enough to defeat the Kyuubi by yourself. Let me come with you."

He pulled on his haori. "I may not be able to defeat it, but I have to make sure it doesn't reach the village. If I can get it inside a chakra barrier, we'll have enough time to figure out how to destroy it or re-seal it if we have to."

"Minato—"

He was already gone. Minato flashed back to the Hokage Monument to lock down the village. It was too late. Somehow, someone managed to transport the Kyuubi a hundred kilometers in less than a minute.

In the street, civilians were freezing in fear as they fled towards the emergency shelters. Minato took a deep breath and spread his arms. His chakra flooded the village, easing the effect of the Kyuubi's malicious chakra. The Sandaime and his squad of Jōnin attempting to force the Kyuubi to focus on them instead of destroying the village stopped in their tracks and turned towards Minato, their mouths open and expressions glazed. Even the Kyuubi stopped roaring and looked at him. For the first time in fifteen years, the full power of the Namikaze clan was on display. The Kyuubi's feet were locked into the ground and his tails couldn't touch the buildings or come down on the streets.

"So, you finally noticed me," Minato commented.

The Kyuubi snarled and opened his mouth. With the civilians and weaker ninja out of immediate danger, Minato pulled back his chakra and _focused._ The Kyuubi's Bijū Dama vanished into thin air. A moment later, it materialized on the horizon as a massive explosion. At the last moment, Minato felt someone materialize behind him. _It is not pleasant to have someone appear behind you in an instant. I'll have to make an effort to stop doing that to people I like,_ he thought as he swung his kunai to attack.

"I'm your opponent and you've lost," Orange Mask stated.

 _I am the fastest man alive. You're going to have to do a lot better than that._

"You're not getting away."

 _Getting away? This wannabe thinks I'm running away‽ Where did that chain come from? Still not fast enough. Does this bastard have any idea who I am? How about I show him the Rasengan. Not so intangible now, are we? You're really going to have to step up your game if you want to stand a chance, Orange Mask. There. No more Kyuubi for you and you're marked so I can find you later._

Minato flashed back to the village. I took him three tries to land on top of the Kyuubi's head and transport him to the vicinity of the safe house where Kushina and Naruto lay. He flashed inside the safe house. A moment later, he could feel one of the Kyuubi's tails descending on the house. He flung himself over his wife and child, transporting them both to the dewy grass. By the time Minato looked at the house, it was rubble. He glanced at Kushina, then at the orange-wrapped bundle. The empty, orange-wrapped bundle.

"Minato," Kushina started cautiously, but he didn't hear her.

"Naruto!" He screamed and raced towards the rubble. The Kyuubi lifted his tail. In the center of the wreckage, sheltered by a few scraps of the metal roof was an infant. Minato froze. The infant's legs barely brushed the rubble beneath. Baby Naruto was suspended in the rubble with the sharp end of a broken wooden beam through his chest. Tiny blue eyes stared at nothing. Minato lunged forward, only for Kushina to catch him from behind. The Kyuubi's chakra consumed the infant's body, the rubble, even the dirt, leaving nothing but a smear of ash left of the entire structure.

"We'll grieve later, Minato, but please, we have to take care of the Kyuubi now!"

For the first time in fifteen years, Minato lost his composure. "That's my _son_!" He screamed.

"He's my son too, but you're the Hokage. You have the entire village of sons and daughters to save. Minato, you have to hold a seal in place while I draw the Kyuubi into myself."

"No! Kushina, I can't lose you too. We'll find another way."

"There's no other way. We don't have time to create an entirely new sealing array."

The Kyuubi's claw descended towards them. Minato flashed out of the way, holding tight to Kushina. "If you only take in part of the Kyuubi, it will heal you. I'll split the Kyuubi's chakra into yin and yang. I'll seal the yang half into you."

"No, Minato, even the Kyuubi's yin half is too powerful for anyone to control."

"I know. I'll—I'll seal it into myself."

"Minato! That's even worse! You're not suited to be a Bijū host!"

"I can do it, Kushina. I've been around you long enough that my body has built up a tolerance to Bijū chakra."

"Minato, please—"

"It doesn't matter what I lose. I have to."

"You have no idea what you're about to attempt, Minato, this is something that's beyond even you—"

"I don't have a choice."

"You _always_ have a choice."

"And this is my choice."

Kushina bit back her protests and they set to work. Minato lifted his shirt and placed one hand against his abdomen and the other against Kushina's stomach.

"The seal is in place and open. Pull in the Kyuubi's chakra."

Both adults screamed as the malicious chakra flowed into them.

Kushina's chains fell limp and vanished. The moment Minato finished locking the seal, he slumped forward into her lap, holding his abdomen. Several seconds later, he was unconscious.

Glancing up, Kushina saw the Sandaime approaching with a collection of Jōnin and ANBU. She quickly tucked his shirt in and zipped up his vest to hide the seal. "Stay back! Both of us are saturated with Bijū chakra. I don't know what will happen if you get too close!" Kushina warned as soon as the incoming platoon of shinobi were within hearing. She used her hair as a shield so they couldn't see her as she pulled off his hitai-ate and drew a seal on his forehead. "Minato, you have to wake up. There's people here and they need you to tell them everything's okay." The seal activated, hiding the Bijū chakra in his body from the other shinobi It hid a good portion of his remaining chakra as well, making him appear dangerously chakra exhausted. "Minato, come on, you have to wake up. They're not going to listen to me for much longer and I won't be able to stop a medic from looking at you."

Slowly, his eyes blinked open. "I'm sorry, Kushina. I'm so sorry. I lost our son."

"It's going to be okay, Minato. It's going to be okay, just don't leave me. Okay."

"I don't deserve to be alive—"

Kushina pressed her forehead against his. "I need you, Minato. Promise you won't leave me. Promise me that." She held his head against her chest. "Please don't leave me, Minato."

After several seconds, he nodded.

She tossed her hair back so everyone could see he was alive and hid her face in his hair so they couldn't see what she said. "You need to stand up, Minato. You need to be strong for them. The village is scared right now, they need their leader. You don't need to say anything, I'll tell them you used all your chakra, but you have to stand up."

With Kushina's help, he sat up, slowly gathered his feet underneath him, then leaned heavily on Kushina as he stood up. The assembled ninja cheered. The Sandaime slowly approached.

"Minato, are you okay?" He asked cautiously.

"He'll live but he's not going to be fit for duty for several days," Kushina answered.

"Minato, are you injured?"

"He's fine, just please, give us a few days and don't ask any questions."

"What about Biwako? She was with you before—"

"She's dead. We're the only two who survived. The ANBU guards are dead as well. Sandaime-sama, please don't ask any more questions. Take the shinobi and leave. Begin the reconstruction. We'll be back to tell everyone what happened in forty-eight hours. Tell them that defeating the Kyuubi left our bodies extremely ill from chakra poisoning and we are going to quarantine ourselves outside the village so the Bijū chakra doesn't infect anyone else."

"Minato, is this true? Do we need to quarantine the shinobi who fought—"

"No, only us because we were here when it was defeated. Sandaime-sama, please, take everyone and leave."

"Kushina, you can't give orders, you're only a Jōnin—"

"Do as she says," Minato finally rasped. "Go."

The Sandaime nodded and returned to the other shinobi. Kushina guided Minato away from them and towards an intact swath of trees.

As soon as the shinobi vanished and the couple was obscured by the trees, Kushina carefully made the hand seals and the two vanished in a flash of light.

They appeared inside one of Minato's various safe houses a kilometer outside the village.

Kushina sat down stiffly and Minato followed suit, then pulled off his haori, throwing it across the room with more force than necessary, his hitai-ate followed moments later. Kushina grabbed his hands before he could throw his Chuunin vest as well.

"Minato—"

"Don't! Please don't. Don't waste your breath, Kushina, I don't deserve it."

"I love you, Minato. I can't watch you do this to yourself again."

"I'm going to resign, Kushina. I can't do this, I'm not strong enough."

"Just don't leave me alone, Minato."

"Kushina—"

"No!" She grabbed the front of his vest and shook him sharply. "You will not leave me alone, Namikaze Minato!"

"Or what?" He snapped back, grabbing her shirt in return.

"You made me a promise!"

"I failed everyone!"

"No! It wasn't your fault! You're not omnipotent."

Minato tried to respond but he couldn't force the words past the thick lump in his throat.

"Please, Minato, you promised," Kushina begged.

His entire body trembled with a suppressed sob, eyes filling with tears as he forced his hands to release her. Kushina grabbed his hands before he could cover his face.

"You promised," She repeated, her voice faint, holding his hands to her face.

He blinked and several tears leaked down his face.

"Minato, please don't leave me."

"I'm sorry, Kushina, I'm so sorry." Minato sobbed.

Kushina pulled him into a hug, barely holding back her own tears.

"I don't know what to do. I let Naruto down. I messed up and he was the one who paid for it."

Holding Minato's head against her breastbone so he couldn't see, she let her own tears silently drip into his hair as he screamed his grief at the impassive walls. He didn't have the energy to keep up the rage for long and quickly subsided into pathetic sobs.

"I'm going to resign when I get back. I'm no good to anyone."

Kushina didn't let go.

"Kami, he was your son too, Kushina. I'm so sorry! It was my fault, I wasn't paying enough attention."

Her grip on him tightened and she rubbed the muscles on either side of his spine, between his shoulder blades. Exhausted, Minato gradually fell asleep against her. Kushina gently pulled off his Chuunin vest and weapons, set them aside, and laid Minato on his back. Tears still leaked out of the corners of his eyes and his fist still held tightly to her skirt.

Unwilling to think about what happened, Kushina sprawled across his chest, hiding her face in Minato's neck, and pulled a blanket over them, forcing herself to sleep.

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Author's note: So this entire story used to be up, but it wasn't good enough. I'm rewriting it. Updates will be sporadic. For a regularly updated story, head over my other story, _Spirit of the Triage_. Thank you to all who reviewed/favorited/followed the original! This one will be much better than before.


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